The present invention relates to nanoscale mechanical devices and in particular to a nanoscale electromechanical switching element permitting the construction of a nanoscale mechanical computer.
Conventional integrated circuits allow for the combination of large numbers of transistors into logical gates such as NAND gates or NOR gates. These gates in turn may be interconnected within the integrated circuit to create more complex logical devices such as gate arrays or computers.
Transistor integrated circuits can produce extremely complex and high-speed logical devices but they have some significant limitations. The transistors in an integrated circuit can be disrupted by radiation, a problem for circuits intended for spaceflight, for example. In space, energetic plasmas, particles, and other forms of radiation degrade conventional transistors over time and may generate charge carriers in the transistors causing unexpected transistor switching.
Conventional integrated circuits are also limited with respect to operating temperatures. This is a problem for circuits that must operate in hot environments, for example, in automotive applications. Operating temperature limitations can also constrain the design of such integrated circuits to the extent that power dissipation by the circuit itself becomes a significant source of heating.
Operation of conventional integrated circuits at extremely low voltages can also be a problem.